Former Neighbours actor Jason Donovan has given a stark and candid account of his past struggles with drug addiction, revealing he was consuming a staggering three grams of cocaine daily at the peak of his habit.
The Height of Addiction and Crippling Paranoia
The 57-year-old star, whose substance abuse in the 1990s was widely publicised, described binges that could last for days. He told Jamie Laing's Great Company podcast that weekends would often begin on a Thursday and not conclude until the following Tuesday. Donovan was keen to differentiate his pattern of use from a heroin addiction, describing his cocaine consumption as binge-driven, noting the body eventually forces a shutdown.
He detailed the severe psychological toll, revealing the intense paranoia that accompanied his use. 'The paranoia particularly with cocaine, starts to set in, 24 hours in, you think the MI5 are outside your window,' he confessed, admitting he was genuinely convinced the security service was pursuing him.
A Candid Admission and the 'Catalyst' for Change
Donovan also revisited the controversy he sparked in the 1990s by bluntly stating his reason for taking drugs. 'I got vilified in the 90s for announcing on a news show once that "Why did I take drugs? Because I liked them," which was the truth at the time,' he recalled. Despite his addiction, he maintained a heavy work schedule, oscillating between periods of health and relapse, describing a 'little demon' that would tempt him back.
The actor credits two key events as the turning point in his life. The 'catalyst' for his recovery was meeting his wife, Angela Malloch, and the subsequent birth of their first daughter, former Hollyoaks actress Jemma, now 25. He expressed gratitude that he was still in his thirties when he quit, allowing his body time to repair from the damage.
Life After Addiction and Honest Parenting
Now a father of three—Jemma, 25, son Zac, 24, and a youngest daughter, 14—Donovan has adopted an unusually open approach to discussing drugs with his children. Last month, he revealed he has told them if they ever want to experiment, they should do so at the family home under his supervision, in a bid to educate them safely based on his own traumatic experiences.
However, Donovan has admitted his battles are not entirely over. Last year, he disclosed he still struggles with limiting his alcohol intake, finding it difficult to stop at just one or two glasses of wine and feeling profound regret when he overindulges.
Having documented his wild years in his autobiography, Between The Lines: My Story Uncut, where he noted even his drug dealer was concerned by his habit, Donovan has rebuilt a successful career on stage and screen. He recently made a surprise appearance in Emmerdale, performing at the Woolpack, marking a world away from the paranoid depths of his addiction.
